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5594. wabbit - 6/4/2007 4:27:27 PM  As confetti danced in the electrified air around him and a feverish hometown crowd rocked and rolled the night away, LeBron James was handed a new baseball cap and T-shirt. Perhaps a tasseled cap and gown would have been more appropriate. Four years after skipping college to play in the pros, James earned his NBA degree in superstardom.
Lugging an entire region's hopes with him on every trip to the basket, James had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and unflappable rookie Daniel Gibson added 31 points -- 19 in the fourth quarter -- to give the Cavaliers a 98-82 victory in Game 6 against the Detroit Pistons.
"This is the first step to greatness," a dazed James said during a quiet moment sitting in front of his locker. "It feels like a fantasy."
But Sunday dawned with a startling reality: Cleveland, where kids learn at an early age that rooting for the local sports teams can lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering, is finally on top.
At least until Thursday, when the Cavaliers will face the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the finals.
NBA scores
5595. wabbit - 6/4/2007 4:27:58 PM  Mocked all weekend by the Red Sox passionate backers, A-Rod hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning against the star closer for the Yankees' biggest rival. His solo shot through the rain off Jonathan Papelbon gave New York a 6-5 win Sunday night and the rubber game of the series. The Yankees' comeback from a 5-4 deficit kept them out of last place in the AL East and left them 12-1/2 games behind the first-place Red Sox.
Jeremy Bonderman and the Detroit Tigers seem to thrive on adversity. Bonderman stayed unbeaten despite another shaky first inning and the Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians 9-2 to gain a four-game series split Sunday. Gary Sheffield hit a two-run homer for Detroit, which pulled within 2-1/2 games of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central with a second straight win after going 0-5 against the Indians. That included what could have been a disheartening 12-11 loss Friday night in which closer Todd Jones allowed five ninth-inning runs for Detroit's seventh setback in eight games.
With one powerful swing, Vladimir Guerrero gave the Los Angeles Angels another pulsating victory. Guerrero hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Chris Ray, and the Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 on Sunday after being held to one hit through the first seven innings by Jeremy Guthrie. Chone Figgins greeted Ray (3-4) with a leadoff single in the ninth, and the right-hander went to a 1-1 count on Guerrero before the 2004 AL MVP drove a hanging slider to left-center for his 350th career homer and 12th this season.
MLB scores
5596. prolph - 6/7/2007 8:38:11 AM wabbit-thanks for telling what emirate means, i watched the races but fretted
over the nz name. 5597. wabbit - 6/7/2007 9:31:16 PM Patsy, I'll say you are most welcome, as I'm certain that is what Alistair would say - info was in his Message # 5582. 5598. wabbit - 6/7/2007 9:31:44 PM  Maria Sharapova lost her French Open semifinal to Ana Ivanovic, a Serbian teenager who soared to a 6-2, 6-1 victory Thursday to reach her first Grand Slam final. Ivanovic, seeded seventh, neutralized Sharapova's power and kept her on the run. Sharapova was looking to advance to her third consecutive final in a major after winning last year's U.S. Open. Sharapova's defeat was reminiscent of her 6-1, 6-2 loss to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final in January. Playing in her first French Open semifinal, Sharapova struggled to chase down Ivanovic's pinpoint strokes.
ustine Henin beat Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal. The Belgian will become the first woman to win three consecutive titles at Roland Garros since Monica Seles in 1990-92 if she defeats Ivanovic on Saturday. In their only previous meeting two years ago, Henin beat Ivanovic in straight sets on clay in Warsaw, Poland. Henin improved to 6-0 against Jankovic head-to-head, including a win in the semifinals of last year's U.S. Open. But it was the first time the Serb had lost in straight sets to Henin, who also won in Paris in 2003.
On Wednesday, Novak Djokovic advanced to the men's semifinals by beating Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, setting up a match against two-time defending champion Rafael Nadal. Nadal impressed friend and mentor Carlos Moya by winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-0.
Roger Federer lost the second set of his quarterfinal against No. 9-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain on Tuesday, but quickly returned to his customary level of play for a 7-5, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory, reaching the semifinals at a record 12th major tournament in a row. Next, Federer takes on No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko, who reached his second French Open semifinal by beating No. 19 Guillermo Canas of Argentina 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.
French Open
5599. wabbit - 6/7/2007 9:32:12 PM  After throwing more than 1,000 pitches in a week to lead Arizona to its eighth NCAA softball title, Taryne Mowatt finally admitted the obvious. "Now that the week is over, I can admit I'm extremely tired now," said Mowatt, who set a Women's College World Series record by pitching 60 innings. "My arm, it's felt better." But it was well worth it.
Mowatt (42-12) finished what she started and Arizona's batters broke loose against Tennessee ace Monica Abbott for a 5-0 victory Wednesday night. The top-seeded Wildcats (50-14-1) lost the opener in the best-of-three championship series, then bounced back to win the final two games. Mowatt (42-12) pitched every inning of the tournament for Arizona. Michigan's Jennie Ritter held the previous record for innings pitched with 53 in the 2005 World Series.
The Tour de France no longer considers Bjarne Riis the winner of the 1996 race after the Danish cyclist admitted using performance-enhancing drugs. "We have removed him from the list" because of the doping admission, Tour spokesman Philippe Sudres said Thursday. "We consider philosophically that he can no longer claim to have won." Riis, now retired, admitted last month that he used the blood-booster EPO from 1993-98, including during his '96 Tour victory.
Sudres acknowledged that the Tour organizers cannot formally revoke Riis' title -- which would be a first in the race's 104-year history. That decision is up to cycling's governing body, the UCI, which said last month the time limits for sanctioning Riis have expired but urged him to return his yellow winner's jersey.
Preakness winner Curlin was made the 6-5 favorite Wednesday for the $1 million Belmont Stakes, with the filly Rags to Riches the third choice at 3-1 in a field of seven 3-year-olds. Curlin will leave from the No. 3 post position under Robby Albarado, and will attempt to become the third horse in seven years to capture the Preakness and Belmont. Point Given in 2001 and Afleet Alex in 2005 won two-thirds of the Triple Crown after failing to win the Kentucky Derby. Hard Spun, second in the Derby and third in the Preakness, was the second choice at 5-2 and took the No. 6 post at Wednesday's post position draw. Rags to Riches will become the 22nd filly to run in the Belmont and the first since Silverbulletday finished seventh in 1999. The Kentucky Oaks winner will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez, and drew the No. 7 post for Saturday's 11/2-mile race. Two fillies have won the Belmont -- Ruthless took the first running in 1867 and Tanya won in 1905. Also entered are Imawildandcrazyguy, Tiago, Slew's Tizzy and C P West. Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense was pulled out of consideration last week after his Triple Crown chance ended with a loss in the Preakness.5600. wabbit - 6/7/2007 9:32:27 PM .jpg "Captain Scott Niedermayer hoisted his fourth Cup and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy for good measure") The Anaheim Ducks were born on the silver screen and came of age by capturing the shiniest of silver cups. They dropped the mighty from their name, but not their game and skated off with the first Stanley Cup championship in California history.
The 14-year-old Ducks captured the NHL title with a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night, ending the series in five games in front of the home folks again.
For the first time, the Stanley Cup can enjoy an NHL western home, and the Ducks' victory came at the expense of Canada. The cherished trophy was born in Ottawa, but no team north of the border has won it since Montreal in 1993.
NHL Stanley Cup Final
5601. prolph - 6/11/2007 3:00:16 AM as for the belmont--girls rule; patsy 5602. wabbit - 6/11/2007 3:58:14 PM  Rags to Riches is queen for a day. The fabulous filly outdueled Preakness winner Curlin in a breathtaking stretch run and won the Belmont Stakes by a head Saturday, becoming the first of her sex in more than a century to take the final leg of the Triple Crown.
No one was happier with the victory than trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez, who both ended long droughts in Triple Crown races: Pletcher was 0-for-28, Velazquez 0-for-20.
Despite a slight stumble at the start, Rags to Riches turned the Belmont into a sensational showdown -- a true battle of the sexes. When the field of seven 3-year-olds turned for home, four horses were up front, Rags to Riches on the outside and Curlin sneaking in between the other rivals. In an instant, it became a two-horse race -- a quarter-mile to the finish of the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, the longest and most grueling of the Triple Crown races. And when Rags to Riches won, it was a great day for ladies as racing had it's first filly to win a Triple Crown race since Winning Colors took the 1988 Kentucky Derby.
Rags to Riches became the third filly to capture the Belmont -- Ruthless took the first running in 1867 and Tanya won in 1905. Only 22 fillies have tried the Belmont, with Rags to Riches the first since Silverbulletday finished seventh in 1999. Rags to Riches won in 2:28.74, well off Secretariat's track record of 2:24. Rags to Riches was sent off as the 4-1 second choice and returned $10.60, $4.40 and $3.20. Curlin, with Robby Albarado aboard, paid $3 and $2.30. Tiago was third and returned $3.70. Hard Spun finished fourth, followed by C P West, Imawildandcrazyguy and Slew's Tizzy.
Carnations are for girls.
5603. wabbit - 6/11/2007 3:58:47 PM  Randy Johnson knew he had to pitch well to beat Daisuke Matsuzaka. Johnson allowed one run in six innings and three relievers did the rest as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-1 Sunday afternoon to salvage the final game of a three-game series. Matsuzaka (7-5) gave up two runs in six innings, and that was too many against the stingy Diamondbacks staff. Carlos Quentin doubled home the eventual winning run in the sixth inning, and Eric Byrnes had three hits as the Diamondbacks moved within percentage points of first-place San Diego in the NL West.
Joe Torre offered a simple explanation for his team's recent turnaround. "Looseness. These guys are having fun with each other," the Yankees' manager said Sunday after New York's sluggers broke loose in a 13-6 victory over the Pirates. Alex Rodriguez homered twice and drove in five runs, Bobby Abreu went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and the Yankees overpowered Pittsburgh for their sixth consecutive victory. Abreu and Rodriguez each scored four times and Hideki Matsui hit a two-run double, helping the resurgent Yankees (30-31) set a season high for runs in winning for the ninth time in 11 games. It's their longest winning streak since they won six straight last September.
Barry Bonds walked to the plate as the potential tying run with one out in the ninth inning Sunday, the crowd urging him on to deliver one of his famous big hits. Just like the rest of the Giants, Bonds failed to come through. He flied out just in front of the warning track in left field, helping send San Francisco to its second straight shutout loss to the Oakland Athletics. Lenny DiNardo and two relievers combined on a five-hitter, and the Athletics used a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning by Marco Scutaro to complete a three-game sweep of their Bay Area rivals with a 2-0 victory.
MLB scores
5604. wabbit - 6/11/2007 4:02:22 PM  As Roger Federer tried in vain to solve Rafael Nadal in the French Open final, the silver Coupe des Mousquetaires -- the only Grand Slam trophy missing from the No. 1-ranked player's collection -- sparkled in the sun behind a baseline, 10 feet overhead. So successful everywhere else, so superb against everyone else, Federer once more succumbed to Nadal at Roland Garros, one win short of a French Open title, one win short of a fourth consecutive major championship, one win short of a career Grand Slam. Instead, it was Nadal who made a bit of history Sunday, showing true resolve on the biggest points to beat Federer 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and become only the second man since 1914 to win three consecutive French Open titles.
For the fourth time, Justine Henin proved that she's by far the best clay court player of her generation. In another airtight and almost perfect performance, the Belgian won her fourth Roland Garros title with a 6-1, 6-2 destruction of Ana Ivanovic in the final on Saturday. "It's my magic garden and my second home" Henin said of Philippe Chatrier court. "It's the only court in the world where I have such a great feeling. It's amazing."
After double-faulting to be broken in the opening game of the contest, Henin amped up her game and completely suffocated the 19-year-old Serbian, attacking her second serves, launching huge forehands and scurrying about the court retrieving any and all huge shots that Ivanovic threw at her. Henin served big and intelligently to specific areas, moved her high variety backhand around the court and stayed keenly focused during the entire match.
5605. PsychProf - 6/11/2007 8:05:49 PM Best Sports Thread. 5606. wabbit - 6/11/2007 8:55:38 PM Except for yours.
Muaahh! 5607. wabbit - 6/11/2007 8:56:54 PM Hey Prof, I've done a wee bit of updating of our links page - if you have any suggestions, please let me know! 5608. PsychProf - 6/12/2007 8:23:21 PM Thanks Wabbit...it is up at Ozzie's Sports Bar. 5609. wonkers2 - 6/13/2007 2:39:11 AM Lake St Clair Sailboat Race 5610. anomie - 6/13/2007 2:42:48 AM Lots of great pics Wonks, and man that looks like fun. 5611. greystoke - 6/13/2007 2:59:09 AM Verlander pitches no-hitter. I've seen information about the last no-hitter by a Tiger (Jack Morris 1984), the last no-hitter in Detroit (Nolan Ryan 1973), and the previous no-hitter this season (Mark Buehrle). But is this the first inter-league no-hitter. I think so, but I'm not sure. 5612. greystoke - 6/13/2007 11:46:48 AM Nope it was the third interleague no-hitter. 5613. jexster - 6/13/2007 6:30:32 PM Just discovered..
Beefcake Blood Sport
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